Page 41 of Fierce Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #3)
“Park there.” Sarah directed Jade to a clearing directly in front of the main building.
The headlights of Jade’s sedan carved a weak path through the darkness as she parked outside the looming shadow of the abandoned lumber mill.
Her hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel before she cut the engine, plunging them into relative darkness.
Only the faint moonlight filtering through snow clouds illuminated the decaying structure ahead.
As the headlights dimmed, Jade noticed deeper tire tracks leading into the mill’s main entrance, partially filled with fresh snow. Someone else was here—and they’d been here for a while. Her heart sank further.
“Out. Both of you,” Sarah commanded. “Leave your stuff. We’ll be heading out soon.”
The strongest signal yet that Jade and DJ wouldn’t be going anywhere alive.
Jade stepped out first, the icy air biting sharply at her cheeks after the relative warmth of the car.
The cold amplified every sound—the crunch of her boots in the snow, DJ’s tense breathing beside her, the soft click as Sarah adjusted her grip on the pistol.
Beyond these immediate noises loomed an oppressive silence.
The musty, stale scent of abandoned lumber and rusting metal hung in the air, mingling with the clean bite of snow. The mill had clearly been abandoned for years—windows broken, walls partially collapsed in places, snow drifting through gaps in the roof.
Sarah gestured with her weapon. “Inside.”
Jade placed a protective hand on DJ’s shoulder as they walked. His body was taut with tension beneath her fingers, but he moved steadily beside her. The small action of reassurance was as much for herself as for him.
“It’s going to be okay,” she whispered, though the words felt hollow even as she spoke them.
“Quiet,” Sarah snapped, pressing the gun barrel against Jade’s spine.
They entered through a set of massive, partially open doors, their hinges long rusted.
Inside, the cavernous space echoed with their footsteps.
What little moonlight filtered through broken windows and holes in the roof created eerie patterns across the debris-strewn floor.
Weak light from a scattering of battery-powered lanterns illuminated the space.
Old machinery loomed like sleeping monsters in the shadows.
And there, tucked neatly into a dark corner, was a black SUV, its sleek lines incongruous against the decaying surroundings.
A figure jumped up from behind the vehicle, gun drawn.
Jade lunged in front of DJ.
“Chad!” Sarah screeched. “Idiot—don’t shoot!”
Chad Delgado—Sarah’s hard-looking ex—lowered his weapon, panic giving way to recognition. He recovered quickly, a familiar cockiness returning to his stance as he holstered his gun.
“Dude. You scared me,” he complained, tugging a snow-covered beanie lower over his brow. “I wasn’t expecting you for another hour.”
Sarah’s demeanor changed dramatically as she stepped forward, her voice suddenly syrupy and conciliatory. “Sorry about the surprise, sweetie. I had to speed up our timeline.” She glanced back at Jade with an almost apologetic smile. “Everything’s ready for our agreement though, right?”
Jade maintained her composed expression, pretending to play along with the charade Sarah had constructed.
Chad looked bewildered. “Agreement? What agreement?”
Sarah shot him a warning glance. “Jade’s agreed to take the fall for the missing funds.” She turned to Jade with a brittle smile. “A million dollars is a lot of incentive to disappear permanently, right, Jade?”
“And a million for DJ,” she reminded the other woman.
Chad’s eyes darted between them, confusion evident. “You’re ... paying them off? That wasn’t the plan?—”
“Plans change,” Sarah cut in smoothly. “This way, when the money is discovered missing, all evidence will point to Jade. Kent’s clients can try chasing her down and we walk away without having to watch our backs.
Think about it. It’ll be way more fun hanging out on tropical beaches without the stress. ”
Chad went rigid, his hand drifting toward his weapon. He clearly hadn’t been consulted about this change in plans, and he didn’t like it.
He gaped at Sarah. “So they’re just walking away? With our money?”
“A tiny bit. It’s nothing, sweetie.” Sarah soothed. “The price of doing business.”
DJ shifted uncomfortably beside Jade. She pressed her shoulder against his, silently urging him to keep quiet, to let her handle things.
Sarah made a pouty face. “Sorry, kids, but I’m gonna need to tie you up while Chad and I finish getting ready. Just in case you change your minds. You get it, right?”
Jade forced her lips to move. “Sure. Whatever. Only makes sense.”
“Smart woman.” Sarah jutted her chin at Chad. “Use the bench over there.”
Chad’s expression hardened, suspicion evident in his eyes. “Fine,” he muttered, grabbing a coil of rope from the open back of the SUV.
Jade maintained her compliant facade as Chad roughly pushed them toward an old workbench against one wall. The wood was weathered, covered in splinters and years of dust.
Every instinct screamed at her to run, but they wouldn’t even make it to the door before someone shot them in the back. They wouldn’t otherwise kill them in here. She still had time.
“Hands behind your backs,” Chad ordered.
As he bound their wrists, Jade immediately noticed his carelessness—the knots were tight enough to hurt, but not as secure as they could be. And when he tied them to the bench, he left their legs free. If they were left alone, they might be able to free each other.
The gritty texture of the rough ropes bit painfully into her wrists.
Wood splinters from the ancient bench caught in her jacket as she tested her bonds, carefully, without drawing attention.
Beside her, DJ’s breathing had quickened, small, frightened pants that pierced her heart more effectively than any knife.
“It’s okay,” she whispered when Chad stepped away. “We’re going to get out of this.”
Sarah paced impatiently near the SUV, checking her watch repeatedly. “We need to hurry this up.”
Chad glared at her. “I can’t believe you said you’d pay them. And you didn’t even talk to me first.”
“I had to improvise,” she snapped. “Someone’s gotta make the hard decisions, Chad.”
“You never let me?—”
The rest of Chad’s complaint was muffled as he faced away from them, but whatever he said set Sarah off. Jade couldn’t make out words, but the tone was clear. Sarah was furious.
The couple’s attention momentarily diverted, Jade seized the opportunity to study Chad more carefully. The tension between him and Sarah was palpable. They weren’t partners—not really. There was calculation in Sarah’s eyes when she looked at him, not affection.
“Whatever,” Chad muttered, throwing up his hands. He stalked back toward Jade and DJ, grabbing a flickering lantern and smacking it with his hand. The light momentarily brightened before going out. Chad swore and flung the lamp across the room.
DJ flinched.
Jade leaned into his side. “It’s okay. We’re gonna be okay.”
“I know,” he whispered, but clearly, his hope was fading.
When Sarah hurried around the far side of the SUV and stuck her head inside, searching for something, Jade decided to take a chance.
“Chad,” she said quietly, pitching her voice low enough that Sarah couldn’t quite hear from where she stood. “Do you really think Sarah will share? Once she has what she needs, you’re expendable.”
Chad scoffed, turning toward her with exaggerated confidence. “Shut up. You don’t know what you’re talking about. We’re tight.”
“You sure?” Jade maintained eye contact, her voice steady despite her racing heart. The trick was to play this right: sow just enough doubt to make him think, but not make him mad. “Sarah’s been playing everyone for years. Kent, the church, the foundation board—even you.”
Chad’s eyes narrowed, but Jade saw the doubt flicker behind his bravado. “You don’t know anything about our arrangement.”
“I know Sarah likes control.” She pressed gently, trying her best to sound sympathetic rather than accusatory. “And I know there’s a lot of money at stake. Money changes people.”
Chad opened his mouth to respond, but Sarah interrupted sharply, striding toward them.
“What are you two whispering about?” she demanded, eyes darting suspiciously between them.
“Nothing,” Chad muttered. “She’s just trying to mess with me.”
Sarah’s eyes hardened as she looked at Jade. “Always thinking you’re so clever.” She turned to Chad. “Enough stalling. Let’s get moving.”
Chad hesitated, shifting uncomfortably. “I haven’t ... finished it yet.”
“What?” Sarah’s voice rose dangerously.
“It’s freezing out there,” he complained, gesturing toward the rear of the building. “And the ground is like concrete. It’s taking longer than I thought.”
Sarah’s face contorted with rage. “You’ve had hours!”
“Yo, Sarah. Chill. I’ve been working on it.” Chad shot back defensively. “You try digging in frozen ground with just a shovel. It’s not as easy as you think.”
The words hit Jade like a physical blow. The acrid, metallic taste of fear filled her mouth as realization crashed over her.
Chad was digging their graves.